TMTPOST -- China   is   reported to   be sending a   senior   trade   negotiator   to U.S.   this   week, a sign that   Beijing   and   Washington   seek   to build   regular   communications during   their   tariff   truce.  

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China ’ s Vice Commerce Minister Li   Chenggang   will travel to Washington   this week, marking   the first   round of   bilateral negotiations   in the U.S.   capital, the Wall Street Journal ( WSJ )   reported on   Tuesday. Li would   reportedly   meet with   deputies of U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and officials at the Treasury Department, as   well   as representatives   of   the   American   business   community   in   Washington.

Li, the top aide to Beijing ’ s lead negotiator,   is expected to discuss soybean purchases, among other issues, but Beijing   will   continue to demand the   Trump   administration   remove   20% tariffs   related to the   fentanyl trade   before making any commitment of buying soybeans or   other   U.S.   goods, according   to the report.   Li was also reported to push for U.S.   loosening   restricitons   on tech sales.  

A Bloomberg   report   later   Tuesday   echoed   WSJ, citing sources   that Li   will   meet with   U.S. officials and   business people   in   Washington   this week.   Li was reported to   be   there   at least Thursday and   Friday.   A U.S.   government spokesperson said Li ’ s trip wasn ’ t   part of a formal   negotiation session, according to the report.  

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun at   a   press conference   dodged a question about Li   Chenggang ’ s   visit to U.S.   "For   anything   specific,   I ’ d refer you to competent authorities,"   said Guo when asked what Li will discuss   during his trip and if there   are   any   more relevant   details.

Prior   to Li ’ s reported visit, U.S.   President Donald Trump   floated   potential China   visit   this year. During   his   meeting with South Korean   President Lee Jae Myun   in the White House on Monday,   Trump   said   he is mulling   a trip to China as the two countries continue trade negotiations.   "At some point, probably during this year or shortly thereafter, we ’ ll go to China," Trump said. "We ’ re going to have a great relationship with China."

When asked whether China is open   to Trump ’ s   visit,   Guo on   Tuesday said   Beijing hopes   the U.S. will work with us to jointly promote the steady, sound and sustainable development of bilateral ties. "Head-of-state diplomacy plays an irreplaceable and strategic guiding role in China-U.S. relations. The presidents of the two countries maintain close interactions and communication," said Guo.   

Trump on Monday also threatened to impose new   tariffs of up to 200% on Chinese goods if rare-earth magnet exports to the United States are restricted — potentially destabilizing a fragile trade truce between the world ’ s two largest economies.

"They have to give us magnets. If they don ’ t give us magnets, then we have to charge them 200% tariffs or something," Trump told reporters after meeting South Korean President Lee.  

Trump emphasized that Washington holds leverage in the form of airplane parts, noting that U.S. aerospace giant Boeing has withheld components critical to China ’ s aviation fleet. "Two hundred of their planes were unable to fly because we were not giving them Boeing parts purposely because they weren ’ t giving us magnets," the president   claimed.

Commenting on Trump ’ s aforementioned remarks   including   his cliam   that the U.S. has more leverage   over   China on trade than   the   other way around, Guo on   Tuesday reiterate that China always follows the principle of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and mutually beneficial cooperation to handle and grow its relations with the U.S.

Guo   stressed China will   firmly safeguard our sovereignty, security and development interests. We hope the U.S. will work with us to jointly promote the steady, sound and sustainable development of bilateral ties.   We hope the U.S. will work with us to jointly promote the steady, sound and sustainable development of bilateral ties, said Guo.